Unusually High Number Of Top Officials Under Gov. Brownback Leaving

Governor Sam Brownback has seen an unusually high number of departures among his top leadership.

Almost half of Brownback's 11 permanent Cabinet secretary appointments will turn over in the first three years of his tenure. The percentage outpaces that of predecessors Kathleen Sebelius and Bill Graves.

Many other high-level appointed posts that pay around $100,000 a year also have been vacated. Those positions include Securities Commissioner Aaron Jack, information technology chief Jim Mann and Kansas Corporation Commission chairman Mark Sievers.

Brownback spokeswoman Sara Belfry said the turnover isn't unusual compared to past governors, including Joan Finney. And Washburn University political science professor Bob Beatty said he saw little that links the departures.